Cream Cheese Gingerbread Thumbprint Cookies

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Gingerbread overload? There's no such thing! These soft, chewy ginger-spiced thumbprints are filled with a tangy cream cheese icing for the ultimate holiday treat. A sprinkling of chopped crystallized ginger gives the cookies an added festive touch.

Bake, 1 sheet at a time, in 350°F oven until no longer shiny, about 12 minutes. Remove from oven; using rounded back of 1 tsp measure, gently press wells to reshape. Let cool on pans for 5 minutes; transfer directly to racks to cool completely.

Spiced Cream Cheese Icing: While cookies are cooling, in bowl, beat cream cheese with butter until fluffy; beat in molasses, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Beat in icing sugar until smooth. Spoon or pipe heaping 1 tsp of the icing into well of each cookie.

Garnish: Sprinkle icing with ginger. Refrigerate until icing is set, about 30 minutes. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 3 days.)

Method

Rub beef all over with oil, garlic, thyme, salt and half of the pepper. Place on greased rack in roasting pan. Roast in 450°F oven until beginning to brown, about 19 minutes. Reduce heat to 275°F and roast, basting occasionally, until instant-read thermometer inserted in centre reads 140°F for medium-rare, about 1 hour. Transfer to cutting board; tent with foil. Let rest for 15 minutes before thinly slicing across the grain.

While roast is resting, drain all but 2 tbsp fat from pan. Sprinkle in flour; cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes. Stir in wine, scraping up browned bits with wooden spoon. Whisk in broth and remaining pepper; bring to boil over medium heat. Cook, whisking occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Strain through fine-mesh sieve; stir in parsley, mustard and any accumulated juices from cutting board. Serve with beef.

Mini Meringues

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These bite-size treats are fantastic on their own, but for an extra-special finish, you can dip them in chocolate or use them to sandwich your favourite fillings—think dulce de leche, jam, curd or chocolate hazelnut spread.

Bake in top and bottom thirds of 200°F oven, switching and rotating pans halfway through, until dry, about 2 hours. Let cool in oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven; transfer directly to racks to cool completely. (Make-ahead: Layer between waxed paper in airtight container; store for up to 1 week.)

Spinach and Artichoke Pissaldière

Pissalidière, a flaky pizza-like tart, is traditionally topped with onions, anchovies and, at times, tomatoes. Here, we've swapped out the anchovies for artichokes to make these bites even more crowd-pleasing, and we've added spinach for a stunning pop of colour.

Method

On parchment paper–lined rimless baking sheet, unroll 1 sheet of the pastry. Top with half each of the onion mixture, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach. On separate baking sheet, repeat with remaining pastry, onion mixture, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach. Bake, 1 sheet at time, in 425°F oven until edges are golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Cut each sheet into 16 squares.

Tip from The Test Kitchen: If the onion begins to stick to the skillet, add up to a tablespoon of water, a little at a time.